Art, Sculpture & Rock Art
Gandhara Greco-Buddhist sculpture
1st c. BCE - 5th c. CEGandhara artisansGandhara regionUttar Pradesh
100 BCE
A sculptural school blending Hellenistic and Indian styles, producing some of the first human images of the Buddha.
- Dated
- 100 BCE–500 CE
- As scholars put it
- 1st c. BCE - 5th c. CE
- Originator
- Gandhara artisans
- Source text
- Gandhara region
- Region
- Uttar Pradesh
- Discipline
- Art, Sculpture & Rock Art
- Evidence
- Documented
- Confidence
- High
- Verification
- Reference-cited
Meanwhile in the West
A fusion of Greek and Indian art.
Fair to say
Whether Gandhara or Mathura produced the first Buddha image is debated.
Path to modern innovation
Shaped how the Buddha is depicted worldwide.
Transmission
Spread Buddhist iconography across Asia.
Museum objects
Standing BuddhaUnreviewed
Standing BuddhaUnreviewed
Seated BuddhaUnreviewed
Bust of a Bodhisattva ShakyamuniUnreviewed
Bodhisattva with Radiate Halo and MandorlaUnreviewed
Standing Bodhisattva, probably Maitryeya (Buddha of the Future)Unreviewed
References
- 1Art-historical scholarship
Further reading
Corrections and additional sources: edit IND-188 on GitHub.